Poor, Pitiful Haiti

Given the vastness of the death and destruction from the Port-au-Prince earthquake, nothing else is worth talking about today. The hair length of first-grade boys and the fate of elementary school cafeteria murals don't deserve much attention in any case, but today, they come to mind only as examples of first world problems that show just how blessed most of us in Richardson, Texas, are. Hug someone you love today, then go to WhiteHouse.gov to learn how you can help the people of Haiti deal with this incomprehensible natural disaster.

Labadee, Haiti

From 200903 Labadee

I've been to Haiti. Well, yes and no. What I saw was the beautiful sand beach on a cruise line's private property on the north coast of Haiti, safely fenced off from the real Haiti, the Haiti seen in today's news stories from Port-au-Prince. What can I say? The vast gulf between my vacation experience in Labadee and the day-to-day life of residents of Port-au-Prince, even before yesterday's disastrous earthquake, is immeasurable. I can't defend it. I can't say what can be done about it. Pity is not a solution, but it's what I feel right now. Hopefully, Americans' spirit of generosity will prove true again and many of us will go to WhiteHouse.gov to learn how we can help the people of Haiti.